Deploying Tablets Safely in Manufacturing to Boost Productivity
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IT@Intel White Paper Intel IT Mobility Tablets May 2013 Deploying Tablets Safely in Manufacturing to Boost Productivity Executive Overview Intel IT is currently deploying To increase business productivity, Intel IT conducted multiple proof of concepts ruggedized Intel® architecture- (PoCs) to identify business, safety,1 and ergonomic requirements for the use of based tablets and Ultrabook™ mobile devices, including tablets, in our manufacturing environments. We provided 2 convertibles for use in Intel’s feedback to external suppliers on specifications for ruggedized and intrinsically safe Intel® architecture-based tablets. Using these mobile devices, as well as Ultrabook™ manufacturing environments convertibles, will help to boost employee productivity in Intel factories, warehouses, and tool install design office. security areas, construction sites, clean rooms, and tool install design office, where using a standard laptop PC is unsuitable. Our PoCs showed standardization benefits for the workflow and ergonomics. A team of in efficiency, accuracy, and savings in time environmental health and safety engineers, and costs from using tablets, including the along with ergonomists, analyzed both device following: usage and work environments to produce detailed recommendations for tablet use. • Facility technicians reported an increase in productivity of up to 17 percent, based on We are deploying ruggedized Intel the number of completed work orders architecture-based tablets for use in Intel’s • Factory technicians setting up thousands manufacturing environments and tool install of tool parameters noted that the process design office. For some employees, the right 3 was more accurate with tablets than using fit will be business Ultrabook convertibles ; print versions for others, tablets certified as intrinsically safe will be required. • One PoC reported over 300 pages per tool Vivian Harrington of printing saved by using online information, Tablet options will evolve as we continue to TMG Factory Worker along with 30-percent time savings work with suppliers to produce enterprise— Mobility Program Manager, Intel IT rather than consumer—versions that While in many cases tablets improved efficiency, fully meet Intel requirements for weight, Bridget Masterson our research showed that the tested devices Ergonomist, Corporate Services intellectual property (IP) protection, security, were not always a perfect solution. Constraints battery life, and other key attributes. This in many of our manufacturing environments Niamh Donohoe combination of research, discussions with require form factors not yet commercially Industrial Hygiene Engineer suppliers, and risk mitigation enables Intel to EHS, Corporate Services available. As a result, the devices used in the extend mobility to specialized environments PoCs often lacked critical features important Declan McCormack safely and further drive Lean processes. Facility Technician, Corporate Services 1 Safety refers to both the use of IT equipment and the actual work environment in which the equipment needs to be used. 2 Intrinsically safe devices ensure that the available electrical and thermal energy in the device is always low enough that Martin Dolan the ignition of a potentially flammable atmosphere cannot occur. Client Services, Intel IT 3 See “Deploying Business Ultrabook™ Devices in the Enterprise,” January 2013. IT@Intel White Paper Deploying Tablets Safely in Manufacturing to Boost Productivity Contents BACKGROUND Depending on their role and work environment, these employees may have a Intel IT embraces consumerization and Executive Overview ............................. 1 desktop or laptop PC or workstation as their mobility as a way to boost employee primary computing device; some even use Background ............................................ 2 productivity. Intel employees report tablets as a primary device. In some cases, saving an average of 57 minutes daily Researching and Defining employees share a computing device with using mobile computing devices, adding Requirements ........................................ 4 other employees in the same work group. up to an annual productivity gain Extending Mobility Safely to of about 5 million hours.4 However, In a recent proof of concept (PoC), facility Manufacturing Environments ......... 4 employees in some areas of Intel’s technicians reported a productivity increase Matching the Solution to business have not been able to take by using tablets of up to 17 percent, based on the Environment................................ 4 5 full advantage of the benefits of the number of completed work orders. Other Proof-of-Concept Challenges ........ 5 newly available mobile computing form factory technicians use tablets to access work Common Requirements .................... 6 factors, such as tablets, because the applications remotely to follow up on work Safety and Ergonomic currently available consumer devices do orders or to access instructions while they Considerations ................................... 6 not meet our enterprise requirements. work next to the equipment. The improved Results and Employee Feedback ... 7 standardization of task performance aligns Evolving to a Better Fit through Over 80 percent of Intel employees use with Lean process goals and boosts efficiency. Discussions with Suppliers .............. 8 mobile computing devices including tablets. In addition to increasing productivity, Intel The use of portable tablets with touch employees report increased job satisfaction Next Steps ............................................. 9 screens can increase employee mobility and when they are able to use the device that Conclusion .............................................. 9 productivity, enabling them to work more is best suited to their work needs and efficiently in places where it is unsuitable, environment. For More Information .......................... 9 inconvenient, or impossible to take their Until recently, most “standalone” tablet laptop. Employees who travel frequently or Acronyms ................................................ 9 models—as opposed to the business spend most of their time away from desks Ultrabook™ convertibles—have been designed appreciate the portability and connectivity for the consumer market and are intended speed of tablets or other mobile devices. to be used in a non-business environment. These employees cite productivity increases Because these types of consumer tablets from being able to move between meetings are being used primarily as inexpensive media or work sites with instant-on response. They consumption devices, raw processing power also enjoy the availability of a variety of and information security are not as important input methods; some models include touch, for this type of content distribution platform. a keyboard, a mouse, or a stylus—and in the future—gesture and voice. Employee workflows in our manufacturing and other specialized environments require As part of our multi-year effort to adopt form factors that have not been readily Lean manufacturing processes, Intel IT has available on the consumer market. Consumer IT@INteL investigated using mobile devices to increase tablets are not designed to be used outdoors, The IT@Intel program connects IT employee productivity and organizational carried long distances, or operated 24 hours professionals around the world with their velocity within our design and manufacturing peers inside our organization – sharing a day, as in a factory environment. In addition, operations, such as factories, clean rooms, lessons learned, methods and strategies. consumer models tend to change rapidly, with and construction sites (see Table 1). Many Our goal is simple: Share Intel IT best new models being introduced annually to employees working in our factories and practices that create business value and meet consumer demand, which makes them other specialized settings are highly mobile make IT a competitive advantage. Visit difficult to support long-term in an enterprise and have specific workflow and safety us today at www.intel.com/IT or contact environment. your local Intel representative if you’d requirements. like to learn more. 5 See “Improving Facility Operations with 4 See 2012-2013 Intel IT Performance Report. Intel® Architecture-based Tablets,” August 2012. 2 www.intel.com/IT Deploying Tablets Safely in Manufacturing to Boost Productivity IT@Intel White Paper Tablet Model Variations Meet Differing Needs Tablet is a term that covers multiple mobile devices that vary in purpose, power, size, and portability. The slate type of tablet is one representation of the tablet PC. It is basically a flat computer screen that can be placed on the desk. On-screen manipulation is done with a stylus instead of the conventional keyboard and mouse. The slate can be used as one would a piece of paper that can be handwritten on directly; no typing is required. A keyboard and other accessories can be used but are not built in. Slate tablets can be either a consumer or enterprise device and come with 64-bit processors while traditional tablet PCs are typically Intel® Atom™ processor-based devices. The convertible tablet is a hybrid of a laptop and a tablet. The screen can be flipped open and manipulated by using the attached keyboard and touch pad. Convertibles are designed to convert from a laptop to a tablet. These models feature screens that slide, detach or rotate, where the keyboard and screen can be configured in different, model-specific ways.